ABSTRACT
The relationships between technology and values have been widely debated in Science and Technology Studies (STS), with scholars such as Simon Cole, Sheila Jasanoff, and Andrea Quinlan arguing that criminological “things” embody values, biases, and co-produce knowledge about crime. This essay addresses the critical design process with special attention to how designers of sexual violence interventions can engage critically with the role of values. Specifically, I look at one approach to value-responsible design, to show how value-hypotheses can lead to more meaningful and victim-centered criminological interventions. I discuss STS perspectives on how designed “things” embody values and produce cultural knowledge. I then apply these insights to analyze two sexual violence interventions—the rape kit and a digital rape reporting app—and explore how design should engage value-hypotheses to best serve the criminological problem at hand. I argue that value-hypotheses provide a useful approach to using the criminological imagination to create more victim-centered and meaningful interventions. In conclusion, this project sheds new light on how critical design can promote alternative values in carceral spaces.
